Adjustable footrest



March 26, 1968 G. F. GIELOW ET AL 3,375,039

ADJUSTABLE FOOTREST Filed Aug. 19, 1966 :5 i INVENTORS GEORGE E G/ELOW ROBERT L. EDWARDS ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,375,039 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 3,375,039 ADJUSTABLE FOOTREST George F. Gielow and Robert L. Edwards, Mansfield, Ohio, assignors to Artnell Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 573,586 9 Claims. (Cl. 297-425) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable footrest particularly useful in vehicle seating including a pair of hangers extending downwardly and toward the user from the seat ahead, a support pad assembly pivoted between the distal ends of the hangers between stops, the assembly including a pair of spaced foot support pads which are mounted'on the assembly to provide alternate vertically spaced feet suporting surfaces at the opposite limits of movement of the pad assembly relative to the hangers.

Disclosure The present invention relates as indicated to an adjustable footrest and, more particularly, to an adjustable footrest of the type found in transportation vehiclessuch as buses and the like.

Footrests in the indicated environment are frequently mounted on the back of a vehicle seat adjacent the bottom thereof for use by the occupant or occupants of the seat immediately behind. Such footrests are normally constructed and arranged to present a supporting surface at a particular elevation and normally are not designed to provide comfortable use by occupants of various heights and leg lengths. For example, a relatively short person might find the footrest at a position requiring uncomfortable stretching of the legs in order to reach the same. A relatively tall individual, on the other hand, might find the footrest at a height which would not permit normal bending of the legs in a comfortable manner.

While there has been suggested in the past mechanical arrangements for adjusting the height of the footrest, these have not proved satisfactory for any number of reasons, including inconvenience to the occupant to manually adjust the same.

With the above in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a footrest which can be quickly and easily adjusted by simple foot manipulation to present a supporting surface at either of two vertically spaced positions.

A further, more specific object of the present invention is to providea footrest which includes a pair of supporting pads constructed and arranged to alternatively provide, responsive to the desired adjustment, foot supporting surfaces at spaced elevations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a footrest which is simply constructed, inexpensive to manufacture, and convenient to use.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective, partially exploded view of the footrest of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the footrest in one position of adjustment;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2, showing the footrest in its alternate position, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals, the footrest of the present invention is adapted to be mounted to a bottom frame member 10 of a passenger seat (not shown). It will be understood that the suspended mounting of the footrest as will be presently described is merely intended to describe a typical installation, and that the footrest of the invention could be mounted as well on seats of varying construction.

The seat frame 10 carries relatively adjacent the ends thereof downwardly extending brackets 11 and 12. A pair of hanger assemblies commonly and generally indicated at 13 are suspended from each of the brackets 11 and 12 on the inside faces thereof. Each bracket 11 and 12 carries pins 14 and 15 which serve as stops for retaining the hanger assemblies 13 at and between predetermined positions. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the hanger assemblies are maintained in the position illustrated therein by the pins 14. The pins 15 serve to limit upward swinging movement of the hanger assemblies to prevent undesirable contact of the footrest with the back of the seat.

Each hanger assembly 13 comprises a hanger bar 17 and outer trim plates 18 and 19 formed with continuous inwardly directed flanges 20 and 21 which serve to enclose the hanger bar 17 substantially completely therearound. The trim plates 18 and 19 are exteriorly finished, for example by chrome plating or the like, for enhancing the appearance of the respective hanger assemblies. The hanger bar 17 and hanger plates 18 and 19 are formed with aligned holes commonly designated at 22 which serve to lighten the respective hanger assemblies in 'a manner well understood in the art.

The hanger bar 17 and plates 18 and 19 of each hanger assembly are formed with aligned apertures 23 relatively adjacent the upper ends thereof for receiving a bolt 24 which also extends through an opening formed in the adjacent bracket 11 or 12. A lock nut 25 serves to complete the mounting of the respective hanger assemblies 13 on the brackets, with the bolts 24 thus serving as pivots for the hanger assemblies. Each hanger assembly 13 is provided with a stop pin 26 generally intermediate the ends of the assemblies for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A support pad assembly generally indicated at 30 is pivotally carried -by the lower free ends of the hanger assemblies 13. The pad assembly 30 includes side plates 31 and 32 and a pair of support pads 33 and 34, respectively, which extend between the side plates 31 and 32 and are rigidly mounted thereto. Referring to FIG. 4, the support pad 34 is internally bored and countersunk as indicated at 35 and 350, respectively, for receiving a rod 36 and an internally threaded pivot nut 37 partially disposed therearound at each end thereof. Each pivot nut 37 extends laterally -from the adjacent end of the pad 34 through an opening 38 formed in the adjacent side plate, with the outer end of the pivot nut extending slightly beyond the outer face of the side plate thereby to space the same from the adjacent hanger assembly.

The support pad assembly 30 is pivotally connected to the hanger assemblies 13 by cap screws 39 which extend through aligned openings 40 in the hanger bars 17 and trim plates 18 and 19 and are received by the internally threaded pivot nuts 37. It will thus be seen that when the cap screws 38 are tightened, the rod 36 and pivot nuts 37 are effectively coupled to the hanger "assemblies.

The mounting of the pad 34 on the rod 36 and pivot nuts is such as to permit pivotal movement of the pad relative thereto, with the spacing of the side plates 31 and 32 from their adjacent hanger assemblies as described avoiding any interference to such pivotal movement by the hanger assemblies.

The side plates 31 and 32. carry pins 41 which extend outwardly relatively adjacent the lower ends thereof and which serve to retain the support pad assembly 30 in an alternate position of adjustment thereof. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the pins 41, only one of which is visible in the application drawing, engage the bottoms of the hanger assemblies 13 thereby limiting the counterclockwise movement of the support pad assembly about the axis of the rod 36. In such FIG. 2 position of the support pad assembly 30, it will be noted that the pad 33 is located substantially above the floor F, shown in dashed lines.

When the support pad assembly 30 is moved, normally through foot manipulation, clockwise about the axis through the rod 36 to its FIG. 3 position, the pad 33 is moved inwardly of the pad 34, with the latter now assuming a feet supporting position. The pivotal movement of the support pad assembly in such direction is limited by the engagement of the pad 33 with the pins 26 carried by the respective hanger assemblies. It will be noted that the pad 34 in its FIG. 3 position is substantially closer to the floor F than the pad 33 when the latter is in its uppermost, FIG. 2 position. It will also be noted that the angular inclination of the pad 34 in the FIG. 3 position thereof is generally the same as the inclination of the pad 33 in the FIG. 2 position of the latter, which angularity is particularly designed to comfortably receive the feet of the occupant of the seat immediately therebehind.

It will thus be seen that the adjustable footrest of the present invention is constructed and arranged to provide a support surface at substantially varying distances from the floor F simply by foot manipulation of the support pad assembly. In this manner, the footrest can be adjusted to the preferred elevation to fit the physical characteristics of the passenger using the same.

Although only one footrest is shown in the application drawing, it will be understood that the normal two-passenger seat found in transportation vehicles such as buses and planes will have preferably mounted thereon a pair of such footrests to permit each passenger to independently adjust the footrest to the desired position.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. An adjustable footrest comprising hanger means ex tending downwardly and toward the user, a support pad assembly pivotally connected to said hanger means relatively adjacent the bottom thereof for pivotal adjustable movement relative thereto, stop means limiting such pivotal adjustable movement, said support pad assembly including a pair of spaced support pads, said pads being mounted on said assembly so as to provide alternate, vertically spaced feet supporting surfaces responsive to pivotal adjustment of said support pad assembly to its opposite limits of movement relative to said hanger means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said hange means comprises a pair of hanger assemblies pivotally suspended from the back of a passenger seat, said hanger assemblies being spaced to receive therebetween said support pad assembly, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said hanger assemblies relative to said seat.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein each hanger assembly comprises a hanger bar and a pair of trim plates substantially completely enclosing said bar.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support pad assembly comprises a pair of side plates, with said pair of support pads extending therebetween and being rigidly secured thereto, said support pads being mounted on said side plates relatively adjacent the ends thereof.

5. An adjustable footrest comprising hanger means, a support pad assembly pivotally connected to said hanger means relatively adjacent the bottom thereof for pivotal adjustable movement relative thereto, said support pad assembly including a pair of spaced support pads, said pads being mounted on said assembly so as to provide alternate, vertically spaced feet supporting surfaces responsi've to pivotal adjustment of said support pad assembly relative to said hanger means, said support pad assembly including a pair of spaced side plates to which are rigidly mounted said support pads, one of said support pads being internally bored for receiving tube and pivot nut means operatively connected to said hanger means and pivotally mounting said one support pad and said support pad assembly.

6. The combination of claim 5 further including meansto limit the pivotal movement of said support pad assembly in either direction relative to said hanger means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said means to limit the pivotal movement of said support pad assembly comprises pin means mounted respectively on said hanger means and said support pad assembly, said pins being arranged so as to position each support pad in the alternate positions of adjustment of said support pad assembly in approximately the same angle of inclination at vertically spaced positions.

8. An adjustable footrest comprising hanger means, a support pad assembly pivotally connected to said hanger meansrelatively adjacent the bottom thereof for pivotal adjustable movement relative thereto, said support pad assembly including a pair of spaced support pads, said pads being mounted on said assembly so as to provide alternate, vertically spaced feet supporting surfaces responsive to pivotal adjustment of said support pad assembly relative to said hanger means, said hanger means comprising a pair of hanger assemblies pivotally suspended from the back of a passenger seat, said hanger assemblies being spaced to receive therebetween said pad assembly, means for limiting the pivotal movement of said hanger assemblies relative to said seat, said support pad assembly comprising a pair of side plates, with said pair of support pads extending therebetween and being rigidly secured thereto, said support pads being mounted on said side plates relatively adjacent the ends thereof, and means to limit the pivotal movement of said support pad assembly in either direction relative to said hanger means.

9. The combination of claimS wherein said hanger assembly comprises a hanger bar and a pair of trim plates substantially completely enclosing said bar, and said means to limit the pivotal movement of said support pad assembly comprises pin means mounted respectively on said hanger means and said support pad assembly, said pins being arranged so as to position each support pad in the alternate positions of adjustment of said support pad assembly in approximately the same angle of adjustment of inclination at vertically spaced positions.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited 491,098 2/1893 Gould 297-428 X 2,284,129 5/1942 Caesar 297-425 X 2,762,422 9/1956 Stratton 297-430 X 3,116,955 1/1964 Siegal 297436 3,123,397 3/1964 Murcott 297-430 X CASMIR A NUN E ima y x m ner. 

